The First Soundbender - Book One: Rebirth 新生
by veroniquemagique
Summary: When Harmonic Convergence granted numerous non-benders the ability to airbend, one young girl named Haruka was among them. This is a tale of her journey to master her new element, and along the way she forges many relationships, earns guidance from places she never expected, and even manages to develop a new technique for her element as she comes to terms with it and herself.
1. A New Discovery

The dawn broke over the island early, and a calm silence fell over the town. A single auburn haired woman walked through the streets, surveying the homes and shops on each side of her with a sort of nonchalance. She tugged at the neck of her coat – a feeble attempt to cool off from underneath the uniform that was clearly not designed for the warming weather. These calm mornings proved to be no solace from the increasing heat, but they were a quiet reprieve from the business and fuss that filled the very streets she walked from day to day. Although most dreaded them, she coveted these mornings patrols. Her family was fast asleep anyways, even if her wife had mused about missing her presence from time to time. A slight pang of guilt touched her briefly, but the gentle breeze that hit her face washed it away. She had dedicated her life to this duty, she couldn't shirk it so simply, even for her own desires.

Still, she regretted not seeing her dear daughter's bright face when she woke up in the morning, excited and eager as every to train with her. The child was only six, but she was determined to follow in her mother's footsteps. She knew that the girl would probably change her mind in time, as she knew better than anyone that this life she led was not for everyone, nor was it for the weak of heart. Not that she believed her daughter to be weak of heart, but she did see a compassionate and caring young woman in her – a reflection of her own wife. She wouldn't be disappointed should her daughter pursue her future as she saw it, but she didn't wish to limit her child by her own choices.

For example, her girl could be one of those new airbenders for all she knew. Ever since Harmonic Convergence, people who had never bent a day in their lives started showing their newfound abilities with air. One had yet to pop up in her small town, but she knew it was possible. That meant it could even be possible for her Haruka to be one – but she never mentioned it to the girl. She didn't like to sugar coat things for her daughter, but she wouldn't want to get her hopes up either.

People started to flow out into the streets as the sun rose, and the woman could feel the makeup on her face starting to tingle with an itch. The least desirable part of her life was wearing it, but it did come with the job. Her only reprieve from it was being able to remove it off duty. It was probably about time she headed home to do so. Haruka and Miyuki would be awake by now anyways. They were the lights of her life and she welcomed seeing their smiles.

As she approached their small home, she could hear a series of loud crashes from within, and squeals from which she couldn't distinguish the tone. Her instinctive need to defend flickered alive, and she approached the front door with caution. Very carefully, she unlocked the door, then very slowly cracked it open just enough to slip around it. Once she got inside however, she realized that she was worried for nothing. She saw a table knocked on its side and a vase shattered on the floor – which her wife was presently sweeping into a dustpan – and her daughter floating up in the space near the ceiling.

Speak of the devil – Haruka _was_ an airbender. She let out an uncharacteristically gleeful laugh in relief that it wasn't much worse – or was it? She could handle an intruder, but did she know how to handle a bender outside the context of combat? She wasn't sure.

"Setsu! I'm so glad you're home. I was just about to call into the headquarters looking for you," Miyuki smiled up at her from where she kneeled on the floor sweeping. Even though her daughter had just smashed one of their wedding presents on the floor, her dear wife still maintained her ever cheerful demeanor. "As you can see, we had a little surprise come up here this morning."

Setsu glanced up at her daughter, who was still blowing herself up into the air, her head uncomfortably close to the ceiling support beams. Her lips tugged up into a smirk, and she walked over to her girl.

"Look Mommy, I can airbend!" Haruka giggled from above. Setsu felt her jacket billow from the updraft keeping her daughter held above her.

"I can see that, dear, but can you please return to the ground before you hurt yourself?" She asked, receiving a nod and an abrupt ceasing of the breeze from her little girl. So abrupt, in fact, that she had to extend her arms to catch Haruka before she crashed to the floor.

"Why don't you go wash up for breakfast, hm, dear?" Setsu laid her down and ruffled her hair before she skipped off down the hall. Clearly Haruka was excited about this, but she had to have a chat with her wife about what it was going to mean. She waited until she heard her daughter's bedroom door close before she turned to her wife, who was returning from the kitchen, free of the dustpan filled with ceramic shards.

"So she's an airbender," Setsu said, giving her wife the _look_. The _look_ that meant there was a lot of explanation yet to be found in this situation, although she didn't necessarily expect it to be found in her wife's reaction to it. Miyuki merely sighed and crossed her arms as she leaned against the entryway to the hall.

"What do you suppose we do about this?" Miyuki began, glancing down the hall over her shoulder, in the direction of their daughter. "Neither of us bend, and nobody even remotely nearby does either. How is she supposed to learn how to control it?"

Setsu sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. She shook her head and approached her wife, placing her hand on the other woman's arm.

"I don't know. Aren't the Avatar and the current airbenders travelling in search of airbenders? Perhaps we could contact them," she offered, hating not knowing what the answer was. Setsu always knew what the answer was – she was the rock in their little family.

"Maybe that's a good idea. I'm just concerned she'll hurt herself by accident," Miyuki paused, raising her hand to her forehead and rubbing it nervously. "What if she hurts herself, Setsu?"

"The sooner we contact the airbenders, the less chance she'll have. Until then…" Setsu sighed, "we should probably keep an eye on her."

"You're right," Miyuki nodded. Setsu leaned in and kissed her cheek gently, then spun around and headed for the door once again. "Where are you headed, love?"

"To headquarters. I want to get in touch with them as quickly as possible. I imagine they'll get the message sooner this way. I'll be home for supper," she replied curtly, grabbing her keys from the small table by the door. She left and the door closed promptly behind her, leaving Miyuki to her lonesome in the hall. Leaving her to worry about the child that made her way back out to her, bringing a soft smile to her face, even if it was a little forced.

"Mama, where'd Mommy go? I wanted to show her more of my cool air stuff!" Haruka asked as she tugged on her mother's dress, drawing her attention downward. Miyuki chuckled.

"Mommy had to go back to work," she replied, picking the girl up into her arms and holding her tight, almost as if she may break. "In the meantime, how about we take today for a Mama-Haruka day, hm? I'll call your teacher down at the school."

"Ok! I wanted to show the other kids, but I guess I can wait. We'll have lots of fun today, Mama!" Haruka squirmed with glee and threw herself out of her mother's arms with a blast of wind.

Miyuki spent the day mostly just observing her daughter, trying to prevent the girl from the self-induced harm she feared. They played with her dolls, she read her stories, and even let Haruka play with some of Setsu's makeup – although she'd never tell her wife that. All the while, however, she kept her daughter's new discovery in the front of her mind. She hadn't had a lot of experience with benders, nor did she ever expect her own child to be one – she was worried out of her mind.

"Mama, did you hear me?" Haruka asked, bringing Miyuki's attention back to the child in question. Haruka stood there, pouting at her mother with brows furrowed.

"Yes, dear? What is it?" Miyuki asked, sensing she had been so focused on her daughter that she had still managed to ignore her. Haruka huffed and held a mirror up to her face.

"Do you like it, Mama? I made you look scary and tough like Mommy," Haruka asked, shoving the mirror closer to Miyuki's face. Her mother's eyes went wide with horror, but she knew quickly to mask it with some sort of appreciation. She thought she looked like some sort of monstrous spirit – but she'd never tell Haruka that.

"It looks great, Haruka, thank you," she replied, smiling and causing some of the misplaced makeup around her eyes to smudge. She gently took the mirror from Haruka's hand and laid it on the floor. Haruka sat down in front of her, then lied back on the floor and began punching gusts of air towards the ceiling. Miyuki smiled – she knew Haruka wanted to be a warrior when she was older, and seeing her already employing her new talents in that manner warmed her heart and slightly comforted her concerns.

"Mommy should be home from work soon, so how about you and I go wash this off and make her a nice supper to come home to, hm?" Miyuki asked Haruka, who immediately propelled herself off of the ground with another draft that lifted her own skirt. Haruka nodded and ran off for the kitchen. She could hear something thud to the floor somewhere along the way, and her eyes went wide as the thought that perhaps the thud involved Haruka's body entered her head, and she ran after her to see what havoc her daughter's airbending had wrecked now.

When she got to the kitchen, she heaved a sigh of relief. All that was displaced was a single chair – one she had placed in there for Haruka to "help" her cook when she really wanted her to watch. Now Haruka was sitting on top of the counter she shouldn't have been able to reach. Ah, the airbending.

Setsu had probably accepted this by now, and moved on to the rational course of action, as she did with most things, but Miyuki was still the worrier. She worried that something would go wrong, that Haruka would injure herself, or… or… who knows what else she could manage. She had to comfort herself in the fact that all day she had been watching her daughter play with the air around her and seem to have a pretty good grasp on it already. It was only her first day as an airbender – as a bender at all – and while she wasn't doing anything too complex, she seemed fairly in control of herself. Miyuki knew her daughter was always bright, and she watched her practice discipline with her wife every day while they trained together. Maybe, she reasoned, she shouldn't be worrying so much about this airbending thing. Still, she was Haruka's mother, and worrying was part of her job description.

Miyuki prepared supper while Haruka "helped" from her chair, and soon enough, Setsu did return home. She didn't look too pleased, but she never did after work. Miyuki knew her wife's job was her passion, but it was also stressful managing the wellbeing and safety of the townspeople day in and day out. She couldn't blame her for walking looking so sour, but today, she was concerned about Haruka, since it was Haruka's airbending that had caused Setsu to rush off earlier.

"Welcome home, love," Miyuki said, wiping her hands in a cloth and laying it on the counter beside her. Setsu joined her and gave her a light kiss on the cheek, then promptly wiped the lipstick off of said cheek. "I just finished supper."

"Great, I could use it," Setsu replied, cracking a rare smile. Well, not rare for Miyuki, but rare in general. Setsu the Stoic, they teased in the town, even among her colleagues – but Miyuki knew better.

"Did you get ahold of the Avatar?" Miyuki asked, in a low voice so Haruka would be less likely to eavesdrop. It was still possible, but she preferred this conversation to remain between her and her wife, in case something went wrong while she was out. She waited for Setsu to wash off her makeup in the sink, then followed her into the dining room with the food, and they both sat down, alongside Haruka, who was already there.

Setsu sighed. "Sort of. I got ahold of Air Temple Island, and while they can't tell me exactly where the Avatar is, they did assure me that the message would be passed along. Said that it could be a week before they arrive."

A week. "Did they say anything else? Suggest what we should do in the meantime?" Miyuki asked, glancing at Haruka as she spoke. The girl was feeding herself quite quickly, thoroughly hungry from running around bending herself around the house all day.

"Just to keep an eye on her," Setsu shrugged, taking a bite from between her sticks. Her eyebrows shot up as she swallowed. "Oh yeah, they also said that she might have to leave."

Miyuki whipped her head up at Setsu and laid down her sticks. "Leave? What do you mean _leave_?"

"Well, the woman on the phone said they were gathering up the new airbenders to train them, and when I asked them about Haruka, they suggested that even at her age it may be best to send her off to do so," Setsu pinched the bridge of her nose. She glanced over at her daughter, the words coming out of her own mouth sinking in and bringing her pain. Every alarm in her head was going off right now, with the thought of sending her daughter off with spirits-know-who to spirits-know-where for spirits-know-how long. The only thing keeping her from outright denying it was that the logical side of her was arguing that it would be in Haruka's best interest to be trained in her bending, and that nobody on the island could do that. Not even her, no matter how hard she tried.

"I don't want my daughter to be whisked away by some airbenders, even if one of them is the Avatar!" Miyuki raised her voice and her fist slammed to the table. Haruka froze and looked up cautiously. Miyuki quickly smiled and waved her concern away. She shrugged and resumed eating.

"I know, love, I know. I don't want it either, but we have to consider what's best for her. We can't hold her back," Setsu argued, agreeing with her wife's heart, but trying to get through to her reason.

Miyuki leaned back, unconsciously having leaned forward as she spoke, and sighed. "Fine."

"Fine?" Setsu asked, not expecting her to relent so easily. Setsu was the one who usually was the first to accept, move on, put on a brave face, but it seemed that now Miyuki was taking that on herself.

"I want her to be safe. As long as she doesn't know what she's doing with this whole airbending business, we can't know that she will be. I don't think I could sleep at night knowing she could always potentially be putting herself at risk," Miyuki answered, reaching over to take Setsu's hand. Setsu gave it a little squeeze. Comfort? Reassurance? Compassion? All of them, she was sure, but she wasn't quite as sure for whom.

"We've got a week, approximately. I haven't fully… come to terms with this, but we do have some time. In the end, if we think this isn't right – although I do think it is what's best – we can keep her here," Setsu said, and they both looked over to watch Haruka play with her chopsticks over her now empty plate.

"I suppose…" Miyuki muttered. She got up and took her plate, which she had no desire to finish, as well as Haruka's, to the kitchen sink. Setsu watched her leave, and took the moment to reflect on, and subsequently deflect her own instinctive reaction to this whole situation. She wanted to scream, she wanted to cry, but she could do neither. She had to be strong. "Strong Mama Setsu", as Haruka had once called her. Without her, Haruka would begin to doubt herself, and Miyuki would fall apart again. She had to be their rock, at least for another week.

The next six and a half days were incredibly long, drawn out by the anticipation of their guests. Miyuki had been fretting all week over the state of cleanliness, and insisted that Haruka contain her playing to her bedroom. Setsu had taken extra patrol shifts at work to occupy her mind, and to be alert and accessible should the Avatar's ship arrive. It wasn't an easy week in their house, at least not for Haruka's mothers, but it was all over when the shadow of the Future Industries airship cast itself over their town.

From the airship descended Avatar Korra, who Setsu immediately recognized upon arrival to receive them, as well as a tall bald man she could only assume was Tenzin, the sole airbending master. When she wasn't patrolling, Setsu had spent the rest of her time since the day Haruka first airbent researching the Air Nomads. She wanted to be as prepared as she could be. She knew others were with these two, but they were probably tired and resting upon the ship. She herself couldn't imagine the strain of travelling around the world searching for and collecting a bunch of people they'd never heard of before.

"Avatar Korra, Master Tenzin, it is my pleasure to welcome you to Nakamura," Setsu began, bowing to them both in turn, "I am Lieutenant Setsu, of the Nakamura Kyoshi Warriors."

Korra and Tenzin exchanged a glance, then bowed back to her. Korra stepped forward and gave her a lopsided grin.

"You're the one whose daughter is the new airbender, right? It's nice to meet you," she said, expecting Setsu to return the smile. Instead, Setsu promptly spun around and motioned for the pair to follow her as she made her way down the street. It didn't take them long to reach her home, and she unlocked the door and guided them in as soon as they were there.

"Miyuki, I'm back. I've brought the Avatar and Master Tenzin," Setsu beckoned, and sure enough, Miyuki emerged from the kitchen with Haruka in tow. Haruka remained a step behind her mother, holding onto her skirt as they approached.

Setsu walked over to Haruka. She bent down and lightly touched her cheek – a comforting gesture, coming from Setsu. "Haruka, dear, this is the Avatar, and her airbending advisor. They came to see you because of your airbending."

Haruka glanced between her mother and their guests. She slowly stepped around Setsu and approached Korra. "Hi."

"Hey there, Haruka. Your mom tells me you can airbend now," Korra said, smiling at the girl to lessen however much she may have been intimidating her.

"I sure can. Watch this," Haruka nodded, and took a step back from Korra. Korra looked over her shoulder at Tenzin and he nodded, then she brought her attention back to Haruka. Within seconds she had herself back up in the air above them all, and was floating up there with more control than she had the first morning she had done it. Korra shot her a thumbs up, and she dropped. Miyuki and Setsu both lunged forward to catch her, but she cushioned her fall with a small gust of air. They simultaneously sighed in relief.

After that, Miyuki continued to welcome the pair into their home, and although they insisted they couldn't stay too long – that there were other airbenders to be located – she sat them down and served them some tea. Caring for guests helped Miyuki calm herself in their presence, both because of who they were and why they were there. She was the calm, collected, homemaker, and that's how she wanted to keep it.

Both Miyuki and Setsu had their share of questions for Tenzin, while Korra entertained Haruka by telling her stories about her own adventures. They asked him how it had even happened that she was given airbending, if and how it would impact her health, if she was likely to hurt herself using it, and most importantly, would she have to leave them. He did his best to reassure the doting mothers that their child was in no danger, but to his dismay, he could not entirely assuage their concerns about her training.

"So far, most of the airbenders we've been tracking have been older than your daughter, and we've been asking them to join us on our travels, pursuant to our impending training at the Northern Air Temple," Tenzin said, stroking his beard in thought as he spoke. "However, given Haruka's age, I don't think that would be the best course of action."

"What do you suggest we do then?" Miyuki asked, watching her daughter try to mimic a little air trick Korra demonstrated.

Tenzin's lips pressed into a hard line, and he considered the options. He didn't want to do anything to endanger the child, for from experience he knew he'd never survive the wrath of an angered Kyoshi Warrior, but he also wanted to set the child on her best path. She was much younger than most of the new airbenders, but she still needed to be trained. It was then that it occurred to him – why not send her to his home, with his wife, his sister and his airbending children? Yes, certainly that could work.

"If I could implore you to hear me out, I might suggest that your daughter go to Air Temple Island, and reside with my family for the time being. I agree that taking her to the Northern Temple is not the best course of action, but my family could easily care for her, guide her, and even begin her training in my stead. I'm sure my daughter and son would be happy to have another child their age around," Tenzin suggested. He watched the two women share a contemplative look, finished with a mutual nod.

"That… actually might be best," Setsu replied.

"As you understand, we are very hesitant to send out daughter away so suddenly, but if you think that this would be best for her and her airbending… then who are we to argue with that?" Miyuki added, sighing as she continued to watch Haruka. Haruka stopped what she was doing when she noticed the three adults had turned their attention to her.

"Mama, Mommy, does that mean I have to go away?" she asked, pouting slightly. Even a six-year-old could ascertain that much from the conversation. Immediately Miyuki felt a pang of guilt, but Setsu reached out and touched her arm to try to reassure her.

"Yes, dear, but don't look at it that way. Think of all the fun new things you'll get to do when you go train to be an airbender," she said, and watched her daughter mull it over.

Haruka chewed her lip. "Does this mean I can't train to be a Kyoshi anymore?" Tears were starting to wet her eyes.

"Airbenders are peaceful people, so unfortunately not, but there are other walks of life you could pursue with your new talents, my dear," Tenzin replied, not wanting to upset the girl, but also not wanting to give her any false ideals.

"O-ok… fine," she relented. It pained her mothers to watch her realize she couldn't fulfill her current dreams. Fate had altered her path, and while she may be upset now, they, in their maturity, knew that she would come to adapt soon enough.

The visit ended shortly, and Tenzin supplied Setsu and Miyuki with all the information for travelling to Air Temple Island. Korra gave Haruka a high five, and they shared their goodbyes before leaving for the airship.

Since Master Tenzin had suggested that they take her to Air Temple Island to be under the care of his wife, sister and the acolytes, and now the preparations were to begin for travel. By the end of the following week, Haruka was restless and ready to go on her first trip outside of her small town.

"Mommy, Mama, do I have to eat leaves when we go to the Air Temple? Aki told me that airbenders eat leaves like lemurs," Haruka asked as Setsu helped her into the boat. Haruka floated her way into a seat and made herself comfortable, looking between her mothers with expectant eyes. Setsu extended her hand to Miyuki to help her in as well.

"No, dear, I don't believe they do. They're vegetarians, but they still eat people food," Miyuki replied, smiling sadly at her daughter. Such a bright young girl and she had to say goodbye to her already. The reasonable part of her knew that this was not the last time she would ever see her daughter, but in her heart she hurt for the knowledge that a reunion would not happen for a long time. Yet she couldn't help but feel a little happy for her girl, getting to experience a whole new world that their little town couldn't offer her. As her mother, she only wanted the best for her child, and she knew she shared this sentiment with her wife.

Setsu got in the boat, started the engine and pulled away from the dock. They were headed for the mainland in Gaoling, so they could catch a train to the United Republic. It was bound to be a long trip – especially for a six-year-old – and Setsu knew that going out of their way to land in Gaoling was inane, but she also resolved to abide by an unspoken code among her colleagues that they were not to set foot in the village of Chin. It wasn't long until the splashing of the waves had lulled Haruka to sleep on her other mother's lap.

Their trip was a long, arduous one, with many stops throughout the Earth Kingdom – in some cases, to places neither Miyuki nor Setsu had ever seen. Haruka had brought a few books to read, and when she read those, Miyuki played dolls with her to occupy her time, and too keep her from accidentally blowing herself away out of boredom. It took them almost two weeks to reach the borders of the United Republic, and once they had, Haruka's excitement and sense of awe only grew, as did her restlessness. She was amazed by the big, developed cities like she had never seen, but it was also incredibly overwhelming. By the time they got to Republic City and rested for the final stint of the journey, Haruka was tired out from the noise and activity swarming around her like she was not used to in her small town on the island.

The time had come to go to the Air Temple at last, and the realization that her mothers were also going to soon be returning home without her quickly sunk in for Haruka. Her excitement was contained by a thoughtful silence, a nervous anticipation of meeting a lot of new strangers and being left in a new place far away from everything she knew for the first six years of her life. She may have been young, but she understood enough of the situation to know she was going to be feeling very lonely for the foreseeable future.

She looked out over the statue of the Avatar Aang that stood tall on the adjacent Avatar Aang Memorial Island, and silently wished for him to tell her that everything was going to be alright. Haruka knew that the previous Avatar was long since passed, and that maybe it would be more helpful to ask Korra for support, but something about the looming stone man heralded for his peaceful outlook on life drew her more. Maybe it was because he was an airbender before he was the Avatar – she didn't know, and she also didn't know if she was quite ready to start this new chapter of her life. It didn't really matter however – for Setsu turned the engine off and they slowed to the dock. She briefly noticed the small crowd awaiting her at the edge of the dock – two women and three children – but her attention was still drawn to the statue of Aang. As she followed her mothers off of the boat, she chose to take it as a sign. With Avatar Aang looking over her, maybe she could learn to be a great airbender after all.


	2. Welcome to Air Temple Island

"Welcome to Air Temple Island," a shorter woman toting an infant in her arms greeted warmly, with two other children peeking out from behind her, nearly bouncing with excitement. It took but a moment to reach them, as Setsu led Miyuki and Haruka up the dock to meet them.

"Is this the new airbender? She's a kid! We haven't gotten any kids yet! Do you wanna play with me? I can teach you how to make an air scooter and we can race around the island! Ooh, or maybe we can-" the younger girl said, ducking out from behind her mother and approaching Haruka. She took the girl's hand and shook it vigorously. Haruka stood there, mouth agape, unsure of how to respond to the ball of energy before her. Luckily, the girl's mother put her stream of questions to rest.

"Now, now, Ikki, don't overwhelm the girl," she chided, placing her free hand on the girl's shoulder. "There'll be plenty of time for all that later. I'm sure she'd like to get settled in first."

Ikki pouted and slumped with resignation. "Fine."

"We're glad to see another airbender here," the older silver-haired woman said, her hands on her hips. She extended one to Setsu, who shook it firmly and curtly, then to Miyuki, who was far gentler.

"My husband tells me that he met with you a few weeks ago back on Kyoshi Island, and that you've got a clever little airbender on your hands here," the shorter woman said, shifting the baby in her arms slightly when he fussed.

Setsu nodded, and Miyuki took a step towards the woman. "You must be Pema then," she suggested, and the woman nodded with a smile.

Pema glanced at the woman to her right, "Yes, and this is Tenzin's sister, Kya." Kya opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by the children flitting around in front of her.

"My name's Ikki!" the young girl bounced and waved frantically at the new family. Her brother shoved her out of the way and stepped closer to Haruka. "Hey!"

"The name's Meelo. I'm the man of the family right now!" He puffed out his chest, and Haruka gave him a once over, not impressed by his display. The older women laughed at the exchange, amused by the innocent rejection.

"And this is our youngest, Rohan," Pema added, tickling under her son's chin. He cooed and Pema smiled warmly at her little boy.

"Uh, yes," Setsu cleared her throat, and looked around at all the expectant faces. "I am Setsu, this is my wife Miyuki, and our daughter Haruka," she paused when Miyuki stepped closer and held her arm. "While it's been a pleasure to meet you all, I'm afraid Miyuki and I should probably be leaving shortly."

Miyuki noticed her wife's tense attitude, and from her muttering on the ferry ride to the island, she knew Setsu was anxious to get a head start on the long journey home. Even if it meant leaving Haruka alone, which they both hated to do, travel was tiring and it would be best if they left. Miyuki glanced down at Haruka, who was holding her stuffed turtleduck tight to her chest and looking around what she could see of the island cautiously. She was hoping Haruka wouldn't cry when they left, because Miyuki couldn't guarantee that she wouldn't also cry if that was the case.

"Are you sure you wouldn't like to stay the night? Or at least stay for supper?" Pema asked. She motioned towards the temple behind her, but Setsu shook her head, and raised her hand to cut off the invitation as she spoke.

"We appreciate the hospitality, but it's a long trip back to Kyoshi. It would be best if we go." She said, to which Miyuki nodded in agreement.

"If you insist," Pema shrugged, and Haruka's mothers separated so that they could kneel down to look her in the face. Setsu reached forward and placed her hand under Haruka's chin, directing her attention to them.

"Haruka, dear, Mama and I have to go home now," she said, and Haruka frowned at her, but nodded.

"I know, Mommy, and I have to stay here because I'm an airbender," Haruka replied, looking sadly between her mothers. The expression she wore broke their hearts.

"That's right, dear, but that doesn't mean we won't miss you and think of you every day. And we love you." Miyuki continued, pulling Haruka in for a hug. She leaned back and blew a raspberry into her little neck, which made Haruka giggle. She heard Setsu take a deep breath beside her, and then she felt her wife's strong arms wrap around the two of them. Setsu must really be hurting to leave Haruka, because it was rare that she would express so much of her feelings in front of others. She foresaw the strong warrior breaking down somehow on the way home. Setsu may put on a tough face but there's nothing she cares about more than her family.

"You be good for these nice people, and do your best learning your bending," Setsu said, her voice thick with sadness. Pulling away from Miyuki and Haruka, she stood, and straightened out her outfit. Extending a hand to Miyuki, Setsu helped her up, then kept ahold of it.

"Your kid'll be in the best of hands here, don't you worry," Kya said, shooting the pair a wink. They exchanged a curious look, then glanced down at Haruka once more.

"Goodbye for now, Haruka," Setsu said. She smiled at her daughter reluctantly. Miyuki took ahold of her arm again and squeezed it tightly as she waved goodbye to Haruka with the other. Haruka waved back, but her gaze fell to the ground as her mothers began to walk back down the dock and return to the ferry. As she heard the engine start and the ferry pull away, she still couldn't bring herself to watch them leave, so she chose to turn around and face her new family instead.

"Ikki, why don't you and I take Haruka on down to the girls' rooms and get her settled in?" Kya asked, and Ikki responded with an excited nod of agreement. She approached Haruka and wrapped her arm through hers.

"Come on Haruka, let's go, let's go!" she cried, giving Haruka a pull in the direction of the nearest building, with Kya picking up her belongings and following after with a chuckle. Pema laughed too, and watched the trio disappear around the corner.

"Why can't I go help? I am the man of the temple!" Meelo demanded, to which his mother responded by rubbing his head lightly.

"Why don't you come help me make a nice supper for her instead, to welcome her to the island?" Pema suggested, trying to appease her young son. He pouted and sunk with defeat, but followed her in the opposite direction towards the kitchen regardless.

In the meanwhile, Ikki had dragged a startled Haruka through a few different halls, and had stopped outside of one of the closed doors in the wall. Haruka glanced in the direction they had come from, to see Kya trailing behind at her own pace with her things.

"Aunt Kya, hurry up, hurry up, hurry up!" Ikki called, making Kya shake her head, but with a small chuckle to herself. As she approached, Ikki slinked her arm out from Haruka's and flung the door to the side, then grabbed her hand and pulled her inside so quickly she almost dropped her turtleduck.

"This is my room?" Haruka asked quietly, looking around slowly, taking it all in. Even if it seemed kind of simplistic, it was much larger than her old bedroom, in their tiny house back on Kyoshi. She took a few steps towards the bed, and pushed herself upon it with a small gust of wind. She settled into a seated position with her legs crossed, and placed her turtleduck down beside her. Ikki glanced back at Kya, then mimicked what Haruka did and joined her on the bed, taking care not to sit on top of the turtleduck.

"Yup, this is your room! Do you like it? Did you know that this used to be Aunt Kya's room at one point? If it smells funny, like flowers or perfume or something, that's why. What's your turtleduck's name? Does he have a name? He's cute!" Ikki bewildered Haruka with another stream of questions. She took a moment to process all the inquiries, and then took a big breath to get it all answered in the same breath, like the manner in which she had been asked.

"Yes, no, it smells fine, _her_ name is Kiku, and thank you," she replied, finishing the sentence with a small nod. Noticing her coming towards them, she glanced up at Kya, who had laid her bag down across the room and joined them on the bed as well.

"Oh, Ikki…" she shook her head and chuckled. She placed her hand on Haruka's shoulder and gave it a little pat. "Don't mind Ikki, or Meelo for that matter – they're just excited to meet new airbenders. You'll fit in here just fine, and before you know it this will feel like your home too."

Haruka's gaze fell to her lap for a moment, letting Kya's words sink in. She didn't want a new home. Sure, these people all seemed nice enough, but they weren't her friends, or her family, and this wasn't her home. Not yet at least, but at the moment she wasn't so confident it ever would be.

Kya watched her for a response, and she had a feeling she knew what Haruka was thinking. She stood up from the bed and straightened out her dress before she bent down to Haruka's eye level.

"Look, maybe it won't feel like home. Trust me, I know the feeling, but that's the great thing about airbenders – they're nomads. They don't tie themselves down to one place, which means you won't be here forever, if you don't want to be," she said, ruffling her hand through Haruka's hair before standing and heading for the door. "But if you want to be, know that you'll have a home here. Anyways," she paused and smiled, "I'll see you girls at supper, but in the meantime, Ikki, make sure she has everything she needs, and maybe give her a little tour of the island if she feels up to it."

Ikki saluted her, shaking the bed slightly. She was ready to accept new friends into her home, and she saw the opportunity for a great new friend in this quiet girl. She only had to warm up to her some more and they'd be really good pals – she just knew it. Plus, it'd be nice to have a girl around here that was around her age and _not_ Jinora. Her sister was such a pain sometimes.

"Sure thing, Aunt Kya!" Ikki called out after her aunt as she left the room. She leapt off the bed, and ran over to the dresser where a pile of orange and yellow fabric was sitting. Without hesitation, she grabbed it and tossed it on the bed next to Haruka.

"What's this?" Haruka said, carefully picking up the clump of fabric and unfolding it. Ikki rested her hands on her hips and laughed.

"That's your airbender clothes, silly! See, like I'm wearing!" She pointed at her own outfit, and topped it off by spinning around in a circle a few times to show it all off. In her efforts, she had blown more wind at Haruka, knocking the clothes out of her hands and against her face. Haruka began to giggle as she pulled it off and flattened it out on her lap.

"Thanks, Ikki," she said, smiling at the girl. Ikki gave her a thumbs up, considering the smile a marker of success. "If you don't mind, I'd like a chance to get comfy here. Maybe change into these."

Ikki nodded, and turned for the door. "No problem, Haruka. Do you want me to show you around after? I can show you around the island. I don't mind at all!" She replied, looking back over her shoulder. Haruka smiled.

"Maybe after supper?" She replied, waving good bye to Ikki as she left. Ikki nodded, and waved back as she slid the door closed. Haruka waited a few seconds to make sure she was alone, and let out a heavy sigh as she fell back on the bed. Staring absentmindedly at the wooden ceiling, she let her mind begin to wander.

She was so far away from her home. It was fun travelling here, and she knew that some good things would come out of this whole thing, but she still couldn't deny that she was weeks away in travel from her mothers. She wanted them with her, like they always were. Haruka didn't mind being an airbender, or having to train for it, but she wanted to be able to come home at the end of the day and get a hug from her Mama, and then show off her airbending to her Mommy.

She had to be strong though. Her Mommy was a strong warrior, and she always wanted to be just like her, so she had to be strong too. Haruka had watched her Mommy the whole time they travelled to Air Temple Island – she was sad on the inside, she knew that, but she put on a tough face just like she does with her makeup every day. She loved her Mama for being full of love and always so nice all the time – even when she did something wrong, Mama never raised her voice, never got mad at her – but to get through being so far away from home, Haruka knew she would have to be more like her Mommy right now.

Haruka lied on the bed for a while, just thinking about how much had changed for her in the past few weeks. She was a bender now, and that seemed like so much fun! She couldn't wait to start learning how to use airbending like a real airbender, so much so that she hauled herself up off the bed and started trying to blow some wind around the room. She didn't know any of the proper forms yet, so she tried to use some of the stances her Mommy had taught her instead. It kind of worked, but not that well – they were, after all, designed for non-bending fighting, not for airbending. After a while, she just gave up, knowing she wasn't getting anywhere, and not wanting to be too tuckered out before suppertime.

Seeing the clothing sitting in a mess on her bed, she decided to finally change into it, if only so she wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb among the airbenders and acolytes. After getting dressed, she walked over to the door to her room, carefully sliding it open. She was afraid that if it kept being open in the manner Ikki had employed earlier, it wouldn't last too long.

From her door, Haruka could see the sun starting to go down – not quite sunset, but on its way – and it was making for a really pretty picture on the water just down the way. She smiled to herself – she could get used to waking up to this view every day. Nakamura was in the middle of Kyoshi Island, so she had barely ever seen the sea before. There was a river down by her school, but nothing like this. As a matter of fact, she realized, she would probably see a lot of places she had never seen before, if what Kya had said was true. It was an exciting idea, getting to travel the world.

Not quite ready to go be around the others again yet, Haruka decided that she would take a little walk. She roamed the halls of the temple, not wanting to stray too far, in case she was to get lost. This place seemed so big, despite the island looking fairly small from the boat that morning. Maybe she'd need Ikki to show her around after all.

Before long, the scent of something delicious drew her nose towards the dining hall, and she almost ran into an acolyte who was leaving it. They apologized and swiftly made their way past, and Haruka peeked into the dining hall hesitantly. Ikki noticed her and waved her in, causing everyone around her to look up as well.

Pema smiled. "Oh, we were just about to send someone to go find you," she began, as Haruka approached the table. Ikki patted the spot between her and Meelo, and she sat down gently between them.

"This smells really good, Pema," Haruka said, giving the plate in front of her a look over. She picked up the appropriate pair of chopsticks and took a sniff. It smelled even better than from the hall.

"Thank you, sweetie, I hope you like it," Pema replied, and turned to continue to feed Rohan.

Haruka watched her for a moment, then began to eat her food. It was fairly different than what she was used to, but it was really tasty, to the point that she could see herself getting used to it. It didn't take too long to finish it all, but by the time she had, Kya had already excused herself, and Ikki and Meelo were chasing each other around the room on air scooters. Wow, Haruka thought, would it ever be neat to learn how to do that kind of trick. She'd have to get them to show her how.

"Ikki! Meelo! No air scooters in the dining room!" Pema chided. She shook her head as Haruka laughed, watching them come to an abrupt stop, with Meelo crashing into Ikki from behind and bringing them both to the floor. She stood up from the table and walked over to offer them a hand up. Ikki took it and she pulled her up, while Meelo leaped up on his own.

"Gee thanks!" Ikki said, beaming a bright smile at Haruka. She glanced at the floor, feeling her face flush with a tinge of warmth, then turned to face Pema.

"Thank you for the great supper, Pema, I really liked it," she said, bowing to the woman politely. Pema waved it off.

"My pleasure, I insist. Ikki, why don't you take Haruka out around the temple now? I know you wanted to show her around," she replied, gesturing outside the dining hall and into the courtyard. Ikki bounced in her place and nodded vigorously. Grabbing Haruka's hand, she dragged her away on foot, although she was dying to fly off on an air scooter like she normally did.

"Hey! I wanna go too! I can show you all the best hiding spots!" Meelo cried, clambering off after the pair, and causing his mother to laugh at his antics.

It wasn't until it started to get dark that the airbending kids gave Haruka a moments rest. The sister and brother dragged her around to all of the meditation places, showed her where everyone slept, introduced her to the bison, and tried to show her how to make her very own air scooter. She insisted that she should learn something more basic first, but they persisted – and subsequently apologized when Haruka ended up landing face first in the grass in her attempts.

Eventually, Pema called out to them from the temple, beckoning them in to head to bed for the night. Meelo dashed off to the boys wing of bedrooms, and Haruka followed Ikki down to her own room again.

"Goodnight, Haruka! I'll come wake you up tomorrow bright and early for meditation, because it _will_ be early, and I don't want you to miss your first airbender meditation! It's not a lot of fun but it's still part of being an airbender and you should go… but anyways, I'll see you in the morning!" Ikki said, as the two approached Haruka's room, and Haruka slid the door open. She waved at Haruka and began to walk away, headed for her own room.

"Goodnight, Ikki. Thanks," Haruka replied, mostly to herself, as Ikki was long gone and in her own room. She walked in the room and closed the door, and proceeded to put on her pajamas. With a huff, Haruka settled herself into her bed, and returned to taking in every detail of the ceiling as she tried to sleep.

It was about the time that, normally, her Mama would come in and give her a kiss on the forehead, maybe Mommy would tell her a story – the stories about Avatar Kyoshi were always her favourite – and she'd drift off to sleep with ease. Tonight, however? No Mommy, no Mama, they were on their way back to Kyoshi Island, while she was lying there alone. Haruka grabbed her stuffed turtleduck, and hugged Kiku tight. At least she had something from home.

Haruka didn't even realize that she was crying until she heard the knock on her door. Sitting up at the sound of it, she could see the shadow of feet at the bottom of the door, and wondered who it could possibly be at that hour.

"Haruka? Can I come in?" It was Pema. Haruka didn't answer, not sure if she wanted the company right now if it wasn't her mothers, but after a moment, Pema slid the door open and slowly came into the room and approached her anyways. When she noticed the tears running down Haruka's cheeks and staining her pillow, Pema gasped and ran over to her on the bed.

"Oh, Haruka, have you been crying? What's wrong?" Pema said, sitting down beside her feet as she pulled her knees to her chest. She reached over and pulled Haruka in for a hug.

"I miss Mama and Mommy," Haruka sniffed, as she reached up to wipe the tears from her face. She leaned into Pema's embrace, but continued to stare at Kiku in her arms.

"I know, sweetie, it's hard to be away from your family. I cried some my first night here too, when I first came to be an acolyte," Pema said softly, as she started to smooth down Haruka's hair in an attempt to sooth her. "I was far away from home, scared and lonely, which is how I imagine you feel right now, hm?"

Haruka looked up at her with a sniffle. She nodded slowly and bit her lip gently as it started to tremble.

"Although, just as I was back then, you aren't alone here. You might not be with your moms, but here you have me, Kya, Ikki, Meelo, Rohan," her eyebrows furrowed in deepening thought, as she began to number the people off on her fingers, "um… ah yes! The acolytes, and soon enough, Tenzin, and Korra, and all the other new airbenders. We're going to be one big family here soon, and you'll be part of it before you know it." Pema reached over and cupped Haruka's cheek, wiping just under her eye with her thumb to catch the tears.

Haruka thought about all the people Pema mentioned, and was a little overwhelmed by the thought of always being around so many people at once. Sure, there were more people than that in her town, but they didn't all live in her house. She frowned, realizing that this was going to be a lot to get used to.

Pema smiled knowingly, and let Haruka go as she stood up off of the bed. "I know I'm not your mom, but I want you to know that you can come to me for anything, and I'll always be here for you just like your moms would," she said, bending down and lightly kissing Haruka's forehead.

"Thanks," Haruka whispered, staring up at Pema wistfully.

"Good. Now, try to get some rest. I'll see you in the morning."

Haruka nodded and watched as Pema walked out of her room and slid the door shut behind her. She sighed and flopped back down against the bed. While she did feel a bit better now after speaking to Pema, and spending time with Ikki and Meelo, and even Kya – it would take more than one day to get used to this place. She could only hope that diving headfirst into her airbending would help distract her from being so sad and missing everyone so much – and hopefully, just hopefully, she would find a family here, like Pema said.


End file.
